In the case of an automobile chassis manufactured from aluminum, there are a number of processing holes which have to be resealed by large covers after they are no longer needed. In order to seal the holes water-tight, a cover made of the same aluminum material is glued onto the hole by using a hot-melt adhesive. In this case it is necessary that the adhesive strip applied within the edge of the cover be about 0.5 to 0.7 mm higher than the edge of the cover. In addition, in order to save energy and time, it is useful for the adhesion process to be conducted in conjunction with the catalytic immersion bath lacquering of the aluminum chassis. Thus, the heating process that is performed after the immersion bath can be used at the same time for melting and hardening of the adhesive.
However, a disadvantage of this technique is that it is important that the cover be pressed onto the hole tightly around the aluminum sheet and that it be held down until the adhesive has hardened. Thus, there is a need in the art for a cover that is rigidly retained on the aluminum until the adhesive has hardened.